Redflow Gen3 Battery Customer Trials Begin

• Australian energy storage space company Redflow has announced the first customer trial of its new Gen3 flow battery system.

Redflow manufactures the globe's smallest commercially readily available flow battery-- the ZBM2 (commercial/industrial) and also the ZCell (residential-- based upon ZBM2). Redflow's technology includes a zinc bromine service that flows between 2 containers. As the battery fees, the zinc is removed from the fluid and also saved individually on plates (plating). When discharging, the zinc returns into the fluid (deplating). We have a bit extra info on just how flow batteries work below.

The ZBM2 and ZCell have 10kWh functional capability. Unlike other battery innovations where capacity is progressively lost gradually, Redflow claims its battery can provide 100% of the rated system ability daily over a 10 year period without deterioration. At its end of life, the battery's non-flammable zinc bromine electrolyte service can be detoxified and re-used.

Gen3 To Help Address The Cost Barrier

There has actually been considerable passion in Redflow batteries, but the company has experienced its fair share of challenges-- one of them being the price of its power storage space solutions. The last price we had for the ZCell (back in 2018) was around the $12,600 mark omitting an inverter and also setup.

The batteries were initially made in Mexico, yet procedures were shifted to Thailand in order to minimize expenses. To push the price down additionally, the firm has been dealing with a new version called the Gen3.

" With Gen3, we are confident of achieving a 30% reduction in manufacturing expenses through supply chain and engineering efficiency effects," claims Redflow CEO as well as Managing Director Tim Harris.

Several of the cost savings have actually been achieved with a new side-by-side tank layout. There's also been a significant upgrade to the electronics system managing the battery, a cooling system redesign and also significant changes to the design of the "stack", once more reducing costs. The battery pile contains electrodes that charge the battery with the zinc deposition process as well as release it by turning around that process.

Mr. Harris says much more financial savings can be targeted via more production and also range advantages.

" The Gen3 battery will underpin Redflow's ability to increase into bigger systems as well as extra rapidly raise take-up of our world-leading Australian modern technology," he mentioned.

Recently the firm announced two Redflow Gen3 batteries have been installed at the premises of an off-grid client in Mount Tamborine, Queensland. The client, James Emmett, is very knowledgeable about Redflow gear as he currently has four ZCell units installed.

The video clip does not give a great check out the Gen3, so below's a photo from some months ago showing the existing ZBM2 left wing as well as the brand-new Gen3 on the right-- however there shows up to have actually been some more modifications to the Gen3 considering that.

The Gen 3 units will certainly be performed at Mr. Emmett's building for "a variety of weeks" prior to being returned for further evaluation and screening, and also Redflow expects to release various other trial systems at various consumer properties while ahead. There wasn't any word on when the Gen 3 might be commercially released.

Big Redflow Battery System Ordered

In various other recent news from Redflow, the firm also announced last week it had received an order for a Large Scale Battery (LSB) comprised of 60 Redflow devices-- whether these will certainly be ZBM2 or the new Gen3 isn't clear. Redflow claims it will certainly be the largest Redflow-based power storage system in Australia.

Western Australian stockfeed supply company Semini Custom Feeds will certainly be matching the LSB with a 400kW solar energy system, and also between the two the business expects to slash its diesel as well as mains grid power prices by 80 per cent.